With my new Designer's Mystery BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop. I was three blocks behind when I started out (it took me a bit of time to decide to go for it), but I vowed to get caught up and stay caught up and I did.
This set of blocks promise to be just as great as last year's DMBOM, and I like the different setting of the finishing kit.
Also, last week I paid a visit on this guy:
And this one:
That was me, today.
The third Thursday in September is always our Founders' Day Luncheon at the Santa Rosa Quilt Guild. Some of our charter members took quilting classes from Joyce Gross at Santa Rosa Junior College back in the 1970's, and founded a group that would last beyond the classroom. Well, did it ever! The guild is 33 years young this month and one of our founding member, Dotty Zagar, got up today and gave us some history. She hostessed the first meeting at her home in 1976. We are now 240 members strong and very, very busy ladies. We donate quilts to various local causes like the NICU at Sutter Hospital, the Valley of the Moon Children's Home, the local women's shelters, the Wounded Warriors at Camp Pendleton, and many more.
Another thing that happens on Founders' Day is awards. The guild gives an annual Merit Award to a member who has done exceptional work in a given field and this year member Glenda R. got the award for her constant schlepping of our opportunity quilt from venue to venue to make us a few bucks. Well deserved. Then the committee chair announced that there was an Honorary Life Membership award to be given this year and she started in about the winner's work on the newsletter (me), the membership roster (me again), and various committees like SewARow (me). I was in total shock, people. As Vice President, I'm on the Board--the same Board who votes on awards--and that sneaky bunch flew this one right by me.
I'm touched, happy, surprised and grateful. I'm grateful for this wonderful bunch of women and a couple of guys who work their collective fingers to the bone to make it all happen. I look forward every other Thursday to the meetings because the positive energy put out by my guild is the best.....and did I mention that they are very creative? If you check this link in the next day or two you'll see what I mean, and in the meantime, check the archives.
I've been working on this Halloween quilt from Crabapple Hill, a kit I bought at the Napa Quilt Show last year. It is part of my ongoing plan to make an heirloom Halloween quilt for each of our kids. Number one is in the hoop for quilting, but with the wool batting, it is a bit too warm to work on much. Santa Rosa summer is September and October, so I'll plug slowly away and wait for the colder weather when it will be good for snuggling uner.
This pattern is called Hocuspocusville and consists of 12 embroidered blocks, and I have 3 finished with on in-progress. It is the perfect thing for riding Amtrak to see the boys or on a car trip, when applique is too fussy and quilting is too hard to keep straight. I think I mentioned last year that I saw this quilt finished into a flimsy at PIQF with another of Crabapple's Stitcheries put in the middle instead of the nine patches (click links). The gal was a customer of Thimble Creek's, so I may contact them and see if they can put me in touch with her for tips on enlarging. Maybe.
In the meantime, I'm also working on getting caught up on my new Designer Mystery Block of the Month and have 2 of the 3 blocks done for that.
Progress!
All in one!
Check out this amazing Block of the month at the Fat Quarter Shop. It is the Civil War Tribute Quilt, and I am oh-so-tempted to jump in on this one, even though the total cost is bit high. It is a big quilt when finished and would probably fit my California king sized bed if I add a border to the outside.
Here's the contest aspect of it--the Fat Quarter Shop is giving away a $100 gift certificate! Follow this link and visit the Fat Quarter Shop and enter a comment for an entry. Put a link on your blog for another chance to win! Sign up for the BOM and let them know on the blog for another 5 chances to win. No affiliation with the Fat Quarter Shop, just an extremely satisfied customer.
Or, Oops, I did it again....
I was so delighted with my finished top from last year's Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery Block of the Month that I jumped in and joined in for this year. I was a couple of months behind, but no worries, I got all three of the first blocks and finishing kit today. The project uses the Moda Glace collection and is just yummy.
The Fat Quarter Shop is a great place for many things, and they are very generous with the fabrics they send. I have never run short on one of their kits unless I was the one who messed things up. That said, it is always a very dangerous place, so watch your credit cards when you visit...things could get expensive.
Of course, dangerous places abound and Northern California and Southern Oregon are no exception. We took a short road trip because we needed to get away before the grapes are ready for the wine-making to begin in a few weeks. I found a few goodies, most notably, an out-of-print fabric to use on a Robot quilt for Alex. It is the same print as the large focus fabric in Benjamin's, but the background is navy instead of light blue. Yippee!!!!! This print was released in 2003 and Kate got the tail end of it in 2006, so I am lucky, lucky, lucky!
I just got a quilt back from my friend and long arm quilter Kat McCarty, proprietress of A Thread Runs Through It, but I don't want to reveal it. It is a wedding quilt for Scott and Erin.
Yesterday, I finished two, count them, two tops!
We had a sewfest at our Snooze You Lose mini-group and while sitting next to my friend Angie, I got the rest of my Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery Quilt together. I love this top so much that I'm thinking that I'll sign up for the 2009 version.
And, I got the dreaded scalloped border on my Verna Mosquera Happy Hauntings BOM finished! WooHoooooooo! I'm going to have this quilt basted by a long armer so I can take my sweet time and hand quilt it. I used Darlene Zimmerman's EZ Scallop tool and her instructions from The Quilter's Edge for appliqeing scalloped borders. I wasn't thrilled with Verna's scallops and I was shorted a bit on the inner border fabric, so I opted for the shallower and wider scallops using Darlene's method. I'm thinking that I may mirror the scallops for the outer edge, too. I'm loving this quilt!!!
For a visit with my big sister and her hubby. I haven't seen her since 2005, so we had a great visit in between her jaunts to a family wedding on his side. She lives in New Orleans part of the year and Cayucos, CA part of the year.
It was so great to catch up with her and to love on her beautiful golden retrievers.
I am the vintage goodie in this post!
This is a picture of me with the block I made at the workshop with Sally Collins in May. Sally spoke at our guild and gave a six hour workshop the next day. Her quilts were utterly amazing, and when I asked her how long it took to make one of her miniatures, she told me that it was pretty much the same amount of time as a full-scale version of the same quilt.
I learned some amazing things in the class, not the least of which was to measure, measure, measure. She had us measuring each piece as it was sewn in place to make sure it was correct before moving on. It was a light bulb moment for me....Duh....I've been quilting for over 35 years and did I ever do that? No. I'm here to tell you that it does make a difference.
If you ever have the chance to take a class with Sally, jump on it. Even if miniatures are not your thing, you will learn lessons you should have learned from the get-go.
More vintage goodness tomorrow,
One of the real treasures in the box was a catalog of quilt patterns available by mail order. I've only begun to examine this lovely little book, but a cursory exam revealed something peculiar and terrifying...... and that would be a pattern for an appliqued rat. A RAT. I ask you, who, in their right mind would applique a rat on a quilt? (Insert ex-husband jokes here.....)
Some possible quilt themes:
More pictures of the goodies inside the mystery box. This is such a great time capsule of quilting in the old days when ladies would see a block they liked and make a sample to keep for reference and the quilts that the newspapers published every week.
Opening the lid provides a hint of things to come.
Blocks: Devils Claw, Drunkard's Path, and Corn and Beans to name a few.
Several weeks ago at a meeting of the Santa Rosa Quilt Guild, I found an interesting box on our silent auction table, looking a bit like an old board game. I thought I'd take a looky-lou at it because my Son-in-Law is a diehard gamer and collects same.
A couple of other members and I opened the box and I nearly fell over when I saw the contents.
This box was apparently some quilter's box of sample quilt blocks and patterns--most likely a quilter who is long gone. Includ
ed were several patterns purchased from the newspapers, pins, a worn thimble and even a lump of old beeswax. I went to the overseer of the silent auction, offered her a donation for the box and home we came. Over the next few days, I'll be posting some pictures of the goodies inside. Here's a little teaser, the thimble, posing on a quilt block.
Yep. Guilty.
It has been six weeks since my last blog post. Blame Facebook. Blame live music. Blame family and friends. I've been busy.
I've taken quite a few pictures intending to post them, but I'm a slacker.
Reformation is coming.......tomorrow........I promise.
After the weekend celebration.
The boys and their parents are coming as is Auntie Sarah and we are going to celebrate my birthday (Sunday) this weekend.
I'm coming up on my 300th post, so will probably have a wee bit of a giveaway next week. January through June is crazy-hectic in our family because EVERYONE save my SIL and DS have birthdays before mine on June 14th. We like birthdays in this family, so we've been celebrating and often that means either house guests or out-of-town travels. I'm thinking that more sewing will be done and blog posting as well now that the birthdays are pretty much done for now. Of course, there IS that wedding coming up in October....
Photo is from my 2nd birthday.......55 years ago!
I'm still busy and not getting a lot of machine time, but I have been doing more applique as you can see.
This is the third finished block for Pearl Pereira's Baltimore Halloween Block-of-the-Month. I have 2 more blocks in process and another will arrive next week, so I'm a bit behind on this one, but I'm getting there.
I am caught up on my Bunny Hill FREE BOM, the basket quilt and I just love how these sweet little blocks are turning out. It is so generous of Anne to share these with us. Every month, I'm digging through my Mom's old buttons to try and find a couple that work and this month I found a set of four square mother-of pearl buttons, so I used two and have two for another month.
Last Friday I was fortunate enough to take a class with Sally Collins and I'll tell you about that tomorrow. She is amazing!
It has been a busy week with my MIL and FIL arriving on Mother's Day and staying through Thursday, and after a day's respite, my stepdaughter Sarah and friend Eddie arrived for another evening of celebration of hubby's birthday. Needless to say, we collapsed last night and will continue to do so today!
Two years ago, I participated in a round robin inspired by May Britt's group and we finished our projects just after the first of the year. We were so pleased by the results that we decided to play again this year. We had a few dropouts and added a few new faces, some gals I "knew" from other mini-quilt round robins or swaps. You can see them all by following the link on the sidebar for Round Robin Bloggers. I decided to have a soft "Be My Valentine" theme this year and present now, my starting block. Quite a switch from the last one, isn't it? The initials are for Jan Brackett (my maiden name) and Mike Andrews. Should be a cutie when finished because the gals in this swap are very, very creative. You won't be seeing it again until I get it back as a finished quiltlet in about 15 months because we've decided to keep the progress a secret again. Stay tuned.
